diff --git a/docs/operators.md b/docs/operators.md
index d816daa7..63d45484 100644
--- a/docs/operators.md
+++ b/docs/operators.md
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 * [Put](http://vimhelp.appspot.com/change.txt.html#p)
   * `p` - default register
   * `P` - pastes the default register before the current cursor.
-  * `"ap` - supports registers (only named a-h, pending more
-    advanced atom keymap support)
+  * `"ap` - supports registers
+  * `ctrl-r a` or `ctrl-r "` etc. - supports pasting register content in insert mode
 * [Join](http://vimhelp.appspot.com/change.txt.html#J)
   * `J` - joins the current line with the immediately following line.
 * [Mark](http://vimhelp.appspot.com/motion.txt.html#m)
diff --git a/keymaps/vim-mode.cson b/keymaps/vim-mode.cson
index 1a58c494..c74f9d60 100644
--- a/keymaps/vim-mode.cson
+++ b/keymaps/vim-mode.cson
@@ -14,6 +14,64 @@
   'ctrl-w': 'editor:delete-to-beginning-of-word'
   'ctrl-u': 'editor:delete-to-beginning-of-line'
 
+  'ctrl-r a': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r b': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r c': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r d': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r e': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r f': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r g': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r h': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r i': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r j': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r k': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r l': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r m': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r n': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r o': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r p': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r q': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r r': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r s': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r t': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r u': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r v': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r w': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r x': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r y': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r z': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r A': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r B': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r C': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r D': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r E': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r F': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r G': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r H': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r I': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r J': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r K': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r L': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r M': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r N': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r O': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r P': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r Q': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r R': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r S': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r T': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r U': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r V': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r W': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r X': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r Y': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r Z': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r *': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r +': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r %': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r _': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+  'ctrl-r "': 'vim-mode:insert-mode-put'
+
 'atom-text-editor.vim-mode:not(.insert-mode)':
   'h': 'vim-mode:move-left'
   'left': 'vim-mode:move-left'
diff --git a/lib/vim-state.coffee b/lib/vim-state.coffee
index a45551c3..3ca3628c 100644
--- a/lib/vim-state.coffee
+++ b/lib/vim-state.coffee
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class VimState
       'repeat-prefix': (e) => @repeatPrefix(e)
       'reverse-selections': (e) => @reverseSelections(e)
       'undo': (e) => @undo(e)
+      'insert-mode-put': (e) => @insertRegister(@registerName(e))
 
     @registerOperationCommands
       'activate-insert-mode': => new Operators.Insert(@editor, this)
@@ -278,6 +279,8 @@ class VimState
   # Returns the value of the given register or undefined if it hasn't
   # been set.
   getRegister: (name) ->
+    if name is '"'
+      name = settings.defaultRegister()
     if name in ['*', '+']
       text = atom.clipboard.read()
       type = Utils.copyType(text)
@@ -312,6 +315,8 @@ class VimState
   #
   # Returns nothing.
   setRegister: (name, value) ->
+    if name is '"'
+      name = settings.defaultRegister()
     if name in ['*', '+']
       atom.clipboard.write(value.text)
     else if name is '_'
@@ -512,11 +517,19 @@ class VimState
   #
   # Returns nothing.
   registerPrefix: (e) ->
+    new Prefixes.Register(@registerName(e))
+
+  # Private: Gets a register name from a keyboard event
+  #
+  # e - The event
+  #
+  # Returns the name of the register
+  registerName: (e) ->
     keyboardEvent = e.originalEvent?.originalEvent ? e.originalEvent
     name = atom.keymaps.keystrokeForKeyboardEvent(keyboardEvent)
     if name.lastIndexOf('shift-', 0) is 0
       name = name.slice(6)
-    new Prefixes.Register(name)
+    name
 
   # Private: A generic way to create a Number prefix based on the event.
   #
@@ -581,6 +594,15 @@ class VimState
   updateStatusBar: ->
     @statusBarManager.update(@mode, @submode)
 
+  # Private: insert the contents of the register in the editor
+  #
+  # name - the name of the register to insert
+  #
+  # Returns nothing.
+  insertRegister: (name) ->
+    text = @getRegister(name)?.text
+    @editor.insertText(text) if text?
+
 # This uses private APIs and may break if TextBuffer is refactored.
 # Package authors - copy and paste this code at your own risk.
 getChangesSinceCheckpoint = (buffer, checkpoint) ->
diff --git a/spec/prefixes-spec.coffee b/spec/prefixes-spec.coffee
index e782d20a..1a773d90 100644
--- a/spec/prefixes-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/prefixes-spec.coffee
@@ -146,3 +146,30 @@ describe "Prefixes", ->
         it "throws away anything written to it", ->
           vimState.setRegister('%', "new content")
           expect(vimState.getRegister('%').text).toEqual '/Users/atom/known_value.txt'
+
+    describe "the ctrl-r command in insert mode", ->
+      beforeEach ->
+        editor.setText "02\n"
+        editor.setCursorScreenPosition [0, 0]
+        vimState.setRegister('"', text: '345')
+        vimState.setRegister('a', text: 'abc')
+        atom.clipboard.write "clip"
+        keydown 'a'
+        editor.insertText '1'
+
+      it "inserts contents of the unnamed register with \"", ->
+        keydown 'r', ctrl: true
+        keydown '"'
+        expect(editor.getText()).toBe '013452\n'
+
+      describe "when useClipboardAsDefaultRegister enabled", ->
+        it "inserts contents from clipboard with \"", ->
+          atom.config.set 'vim-mode.useClipboardAsDefaultRegister', true
+          keydown 'r', ctrl: true
+          keydown '"'
+          expect(editor.getText()).toBe '01clip2\n'
+
+      it "inserts contents of the 'a' register", ->
+        keydown 'r', ctrl: true
+        keydown 'a'
+        expect(editor.getText()).toBe '01abc2\n'